Codes
by clanket
Summary: A two-parter story about a fight blown out of proportion and an apology that becomes something else while getting ready to spend Thanksgiving at Teddy's. Fluff and smut.
1. 171

**Title:** 171  
><strong>Author:<strong> Roughain  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Callie/Arizona  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>Beta:<strong> Clanket  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Callie comes home after working a long shift to a perky, excited Arizona. All seems right in the world until the two get into a silly fight that gets blown out of proportion. Callie, wanting a resolution, uses an old tactic that's guaranteed results.

**Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

**Note:** This first part was written by Roughian over on LiveJournal. I, Clanket, collaborated with her on the second chapter. I am only a beta for this one and nothing more. Roughian has given me permission to post this little story here on FF and its second chapter will be up tomorrow.

* * *

><p>After a fifteen hour day there are two things I want: my wife and my baby. I want to hold my baby, get a contact high from baby love (I've been banned from saying crack baby with Arizona around. I once got a huge lecture about crack babies. Sofia is not a crack baby. I repeat, not a crack baby). And then I just want Arizona. When she gets off of work before me she's usually wearing my clothes back at the apartment. She likes my yoga pants and my sweatshirts. They're baggy on her but it's adorable.<p>

As I walk into the apartment on said fifteen hour shift day, I see that Arizona is sitting on the couch with her laptop on the coffee table. She's cross-legged and has a bowl of grapes resting between her thighs. So cute.

She hears me and turns, grinning big and bright in her "computer glasses" because she read a study once about eye strain. So because they're Arizona's, they're ridiculous. Pink. Polka dotted. I can't stop the giggle from coming forth, coupled with the goofy grin I'm sure I'm sporting. She should be used to this by now, ever since her rousing speech in Joe's bathroom I smile in this ridiculous fashion.

"Hi," she chirps.

"Hi," I sigh, relieved, and set my bag down. As I'm hanging up my leather jacket she puts the grapes down next to her computer and comes over to hug me.

"Oh, you smell so good," I practically moan, wrapping her up in my arms. She's a nice contrast to the sterility of the hospital. I'm tired of the smell infiltrating my nose and would totally rather smell her. Dove, Pantene, her lotion. The 'me' still clinging to the borrowed sweatshirt she's wearing.

"Mmm, you smell like hospital," she mumbles into my shoulder before nuzzling against my neck. "It's a good thing I love you so much."

"Good thing," I parrot, yawning into her hair.

"Sleepy?" she mumbles. "I was kinda hoping you wouldn't be. I wanna talk to you about something."

"Mm, what?" I ask as she saunters away from me, resuming her position in front of the Mac. "Sofia go down okay, by the way?"

"Perfectly," Arizona responds as I head to the fridge. Opening it, I find a little saran-wrapped plate inside that has a Post-it with a heart on it. Underneath the plastic wrap is macaroni and cheese that looks homemade.

"Did you make this?" I ask, peeling back the wrapping. "I'm sincerely impressed."

"Mark did," she says, clicking away. Her face is aglow from the laptop screen and she's so intensely focused that I can't help but grin.

"What are you looking at? Shoes? Another one of those fancy, aerodynamic bouncing chair things for Sofia?"

"Cars," Arizona says softly. "Well, a car."

"Cars!" I practically shout as I punch the reheat button on the microwave. "What kind? Mustang? Please say it's a Mustang. I'll love you forever if it is."

"No, Calliope. Mustangs aren't safe. These are more practical."

"Oh we're being serious. What happened to 'we live two minutes from the hospital and can walk'?" I ask, waiting on my dinner. I'm trying to remember what I ate for lunch, but all I come up with is half of a Twix with Cristina.

Awesome.

"Well that was before I saw this," she grins, drops her voice, quirks her eyebrow. I know this face; this is the seductive face.

Be strong, Torres.

"What is it, Arizona? I refuse to get a minivan. I cannot drive around in a minivan. We're not going to be those moms," I groan, hearing the microwave beep, letting me know the mac and cheese is done. The smell makes its way to my nose, which sends an angry message to very empty stomach that gurgles with need.

"Callie, would you just look. You're gonna love it, I just know it," Arizona sighs.

"Remember the last time you thought I would love something?" I question, quirking a brow. It's like second nature; I can't even help it at this point. "Steak tar-tar, chocolate Peeps, my very own pair of roller-skating shoes."

"Heelys," she snips.

"Heelys/sprained wrist; tomato/tomatoh," I wink. I like seeing her frustrated sometimes. She's just so cute when she her brows knit and that usually cherubic face darkens with a scowl.

Sitting in the arm chair adjacent to the couch, I dig into the macaroni and cheese (which is delicious, and makes me believe Mark is watching Rachael Ray again – he needs a girlfriend) Arizona flips her sleek laptop around and shows me what she's been so intensely focusing on. It's blue. Very blue. Sky blue even. And it's a Mini Cooper. A Mini. Cooper.

"Arizona, no. Sorry, no. That's like a mini-minivan," I scoff.

"Why not? You haven't even heard all of the cool features," my wife clears her throat and peeks over the laptop screen to read. "MP3 adap-"

"Arizona," I sigh, setting my fork down. "We can't get a Mini Cooper. Sorry. But no."

"Calliope, you didn't even look at it," Arizona says, almost a little whiny. Fifteen hours of work and whiny don't compute right now; it takes me from sleepy to on-edge in about thirty seconds.

"Arizona," I snap. "We can't get a car like that. We have a baby. A new baby, at that. It seems frivolous. Our cars work well. They're not unsafe. I wanted to go to Fiji for our honeymoon and you put the cap on that quickly. So I don't see how a Mini makes any sense."

Arizona's brows knit. "Fiji is for two weeks. This Mini could be Sofia's car someday!"

I bring a hand to the bridge of my nose, pinching it. "I don't even know why we're still having this conversation."

"I think we deserve it, Callie. We're attendings. We work hard. And plus, it's cute and safe and fun. I'm not sure I see what the big deal is here. You're on the verge of freaking out over prospective new cars," she grumbles, whipping the laptop back around to face her.

"I'm not freaking out!" I whisper-yell. "I'm tired. I don't want to wake Sofia. I can't fit in a car like that. I have long legs, Arizona. How would I drive it?"

"This is the extended model! They're surprisingly roomy! But you'll never know that because you're being stubborn and ridiculous."

"And what happens to the person sitting behind me when I push the seat all the way back, they sit with their legs pressed into their chest?" I scoff. "Stubborn and ridiculous is you pushing this issue even though I'm tired and don't want to fight. Please, Arizona. Enough."

Affronted, Arizona closes her laptop and tucks it under her arm. Without a word, she walks away from the couch and I look down at my half eaten mac and cheese. This is bad. I'd rather deal with mad, yelling, sit-your-butt-down Arizona than this alternative. This is truly upset wife mode. I sigh, giving one more glance to my mac and cheese.

Goodbye, delicious dinner. Hello slam of the bedroom door.

I freeze, hoping Sofia doesn't wake up and actually hold my breath until a few minutes later when the bedroom door opens again. I have a surge of hope even though I know better. Arizona has her pillow and the throw blanket tucked beneath her arm.

Oh no. Couch sleeping.

"Arizona…"

"Calliope, no. You don't get to go off on me then expect sunshine and rainbows. You freak out over nothing and I'm just not in the mood right now."

"Fine," I snip, after my attempts at giving her the wide-eyes go unheeded.

"Fine," she barks, punching her pillow as she adjusts herself on the sofa.

I make my way to the bedroom, hesitating for a second in hopes that Arizona will try to stop me. She has to understand how tired I am, how much this conversation would differ in the morning. Maybe I was being a little irrational, but so was she.

When I realize she's not coming, I pad toward the bathroom, leaving the door cracked in case of a change of heart. I brush my teeth for two solid minutes, all the while listening for footsteps. I pull my hair up into an immaculate ponytail and wash my face like I just performed a Cabaret instead of a makeup-free 15-hour day.

No Arizona. I'm sad about this. Sometimes she calls me combative and sometimes I am. But I hate fighting with her. I hate upsetting her. I make my way back out to the living room, taking a seat on the arm of the couch closest to where her head is.

"Arizona?" I question softly. But it's in vain. She's already snoring. I fix her blanket and kiss her cheek. Her snoring is cute, even if she's mad.

My last stop before my bed is Sofia's room. I open the door, walk over to my baby's crib and smile as I watch her sleep. I can hear the little rift in her breathing tapering off to a gentle sigh.

I don't want to sleep alone. I don't want to, but I will. I pull on a t-shirt after I tug off my jeans and shirt and crawl into bed. I roll over to Arizona's side, pulling my pillow over to curl up. She's usually snuggling me by now while she chatters in my ear about her day. If I weren't so exhausted I'm sure I'd be crying. Instead, sleep hits me like a ton of bricks (but not a truck—never a truck).

xxx

My alarm jolts me to attention. I realize the beeping sound had permeated my dream, interrupting my ridiculous tea party with The Wiggles. I make a mental note to watch something R rated in the next few days, maybe dust off Arizona's L Word boxset or something since we'll have the weekend off. My sleepy mind then travels to Sofia, and I realize a little sadly that this is Mark's morning with her and there's a good chance he's already picked her up.

Just to be safe I get up, making sure to smooth the blankets down over the bed. Arizona likes it when it's made, so maybe this will put me back into some good graces. I pull on the jeans from yesterday and a clean t-shirt and make my way to Sofia's room. She's not in her crib, because Mark comes at the buttcrack of dawn to get her which is cute but I still miss my baby boo.

Arizona's not in the living room. Instead a "Sorry, 911 page super early. Mark has Sofia. –A" is hastily written on a Post-it, same color the one that was left on my dinner last night, complete with a heart. There's no heart on this one which makes my own sink. She was so excited and I was just being a brat. Damnit, Torres.

I pick up my cell phone, which already has a picture message of my little Sofita, in her tiny pink chucks and her dad's sunglasses. My heart melts momentarily as I rub a finger along the screen, tracing her chubby cheek. I miss her, and just as I'm typing back a response, the phone in my hands rings to life.

"Yes, Mark?" I say without even bothering to look at the caller-ID.

"Well good morning to you, too. How'd you like my mac and cheese?" he asks proudly.

"You called to ask me about mac and cheese? Won't I be seeing you in about a half an hour?" I grumble.

"Sheesh, tough crowd. Am I interrupting you and Robbins?" he laughs with a lewdness that I'm so used to and so over.

"No," I snap.

"What's wrong, Torres?" he asks knowingly.

"Why does something have to be wrong?" I ask tersely.

"Because I know you."

"Arizona and I had a fight," I sigh, hating that he's right, that he does know me. "A really dumb one. About a Mini Cooper."

Sloan laughs a little. "Mm, man, domestic bliss sounds great."

"Seriously. She slept on the couch," I groan softly and Sofia makes a loud squawking noise on the other line, making me miss her again.

"You'll be fine," Mark assures. "You've been through way worse. Africa ring a bell for anyone? Unplanned babies?"

I smirk a little, trying to see this through. "You're right. I hate it when you're right."

"I always am," he says, confidence unmistakable in his tone.

Refusing to inflate an already enormous ego, I simply decide it's time to end the conversation. "See you at work, kiss Sofia for me."

I hear him smack his lips against her cheek and her unmistakeable giggle. "Done."

xxx

By the time I see Arizona it's up in Peds. It's just the back of her and all that long, wavy blonde hair. Arizona's wheeling around and laughing with Caitlin Arthur, the little girl whose pelvis I fixed. Cait's been bedridden for a month now and is finally able to walk around, thoroughly enjoying my wife's antics.

I'm smiling despite myself again. She's still my dorky Arizona, even after a stupid spat. I'm going to talk to her. Definitely. Right now. This is stupid. And I totally would have, had Alex Karev not appeared in front of me.

"Dude," he sneers. "You and Arizona have a fight? She's all weird and emotional. I think she cried when I handed her a cup of coffee this morning."

"Sort of," I mutter quickly, pretending to study the chart in my hands as Arizona continues spinning in circles with Caitlin.

"Sort it out. We have a huge frickin' surgery scheduled today. Little kid with organs fused together. Organs. Fused," he clicks his pen in agitation and my mind floods with horrible memories of Stark. "So fix it."

I don't even get a chance to reply before he's strutting away from me. When I go to look for Arizona again, she's gone.

xxx

I don't fix us right away. Instead I fix a shoulder. Popping it back into place makes me extremely happy. I fix two knees and then a hip. My dad said Torreses are stubborn, but thorough. We'll fix it when we figure it out. I know that, eventually, Arizona will forgive me. I'm going to apologize, but still. I hate fighting. At noon, I look around for Arizona again but instead find Mark eating a nectarine and flirting with the nurses on floor 7. I sidle up to him, swapping charts out and watching him grin and wink at a scrub nurse named Amy, completely ignoring me.

This is probably for the best. His sound advice would be: make up sex will be great for you guys.

I nearly run Bailey over when I turn around and she crosses her arms over her chest as she waits for an apology or at least an explanation. She scowls at me and I look at the floor. Her gaze softens and she seeks out my eyes.

"What happened? Somethin' wrong with Sofia?" is her gut-reaction. Of course.

"Nothing's wrong," I assure. "Well, not with Sofia. Arizona and I had a stupid fight and I don't even know why it got as bad as it did."

"I'll tell ya why," Bailey starts as she grabs a chart and begins walking away, a silent gesture for me to follow. "Because you two are human beings who have a baby and a demanding job. You don't have to be so perfect all the time."

I laugh. "I know. And it's a stupid, pointless fight."

"About the manwhore?" Bailey guesses.

"Surprisingly no. Cars. She wants a Mini Cooper."

"And?" Bailey cocks her head, like I've just insulted her intelligence.

"I don't."

Bailey opens her mouth, but then closes it, along with the chart in her hands, sauntering off toward the elevator. She's just mumbling and shaking her head like I've shaved years from her life. I must be that mopey and pathetic.

I need to get a grip.

It's a stupid fight.

When you're married to Perky incarnate it's a bitter little pill to swallow when it's the exact opposite of perky. But the fact of the matter is this fight doesn't even hold a candle to some of our bigger ones. I decide to suck it up, to swallow my pride; a pill that's definitely even more hard to get down.

xxx

On Call room 3 looks the same as always. The little bunks are made up with fresh bedding and I flop down onto the bottom one. I think about abandoning my resolve and taking a nap, but instead I page Arizona. I don't use 9-1-1 but our well-loved 171.

She'll either come in here smiling or wanting to throttle me. I can only hope it's smiling.

Twenty minutes pass and I must have dozed because I barely register my name. Arizona's standing over me with her arms crossed and she looks pissed. But kind of sexy. But still really pissed.

"Hi," I try.

"You think 171 is going to fix this?"

"I just wanted you to come here," I say as I scramble to my feet, narrowly missing smashing my head off the top bunk.

"With our old code for sex? You think that's just going to make it all better?"

I look at my feet. "It worked. I just want to—"

"What, Calliope?"

I glance at her, closing the space between us and wrapping her in my arms. "I'm sorry, Arizona. I was tired and moody and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. We can look at those dumb cars tonight."

"Dumb cars?" she scoffs, wiggling out of my arms. "Calliope, the point is you totally undermined me because you didn't like it without so much as listening to me."

My hands fall to my sides. "I'm sorry. Please, no more. I was being irrational and I apologize. I'm all screwed up 'cause you slept on the couch and I hated it. And then you weren't there when I woke up."

Arizona softens. "I was angry."

"And I was being stupid last night."

"You were," she nods.

"We can look at the cars tonight. Okay? But we're mapping out all the options."

She sighs and takes one of my hands. "Okay."

This time she pulls me into her arms and I rest my chin on her shoulder. "Don't do that again, the sleeping on the couch. The last time you did that was after you got back from Africa."

Arizona tightens her hold. I know she wants to say "and you were pregnant" but she doesn't. Instead she kisses my cheek and noses into my hair. I relax and I feel her giggle before I hear it.

"Yes?" I smirk as I pull back some. "Something funny?"

"No, just that you used our 171 code and I came to see you. I don't think that will ever change."

"And who's the genius that came up with that?" I ask, sliding my hands to her hips.

"Mm, some hot wife of mine," Arizona responds as she loops her arms around my neck.

I can't help my smiles with her. Those all-encompassing, wide smiles that kind of ache after a while. "Okay, are we good?"

"We're good," she grins as she moves in to kiss me.

The thing is, Arizona and I are most likely always going to fight. Sometimes I'm sure it will have some kind of meaning, and other times it will be more like this – utterly ridiculous and the product of very little sleep. On the whole we're great and people notice when we're even the slightest bit off. But on the flipside, it allows for moments like this one: making out in the on call room.

It starts off sweetly enough, but now Arizona's pushing my coat from my shoulders as she guides me over to the far wall. Her lips are at my neck when her cold hand breaches underneath my scrub top. She rakes her nails against the bumps of my thermal and then drags them against my skin.

I lose my breath completely when she bites – hard – at my neck while her fingers wiggle underneath my bra, pinching and rolling my nipples. Her mouth is so good at everything. Kissing my neck, smiling, biting at the spot she just sucked hard enough to leave a bruise – it's all amazing.

"Arizona, what... are we gonna have time?" I sputter, more than flustered.

"We're making it," Arizona grins.

She's hot when she's assertive like this. It's always in the bedroom, but I love it every single time even if it's no surprise. My hands untuck her t-shirt and push it up along with her scrub top, just needing to touch her in any way. I always want to do that – touch her. Her hips press against mine and my head bangs a little too hard against the wall when I tip it back to give her more access to my neck.

So maybe I'll have a hickey or two like a teenager, but it'll be worth it.

Her fingers skim along the waistband of my scrubs and she looks at me with the most devilishly charming face I think I've ever seen on her. It's sexy. I can't help but moan. Her fingers dip past my scrub pants to grind against the underwear I suppose she's intent on ruining, but I wouldn't dare protest. Instead, I grin, still her hands, and flip her so she's the one against the wall.

She struggles for a second, but I'll always win this game.

My knee goes between her thighs and I hear that sweet little moan of, "Calliope," dance off her lips. It's a gasping, breathy sound and I just don't know what to do with her. Part of me wants to take this slow, but the other part of me just can't. So I drop to my knees, take hold of the scratchy material of her pants and tug them down. She looks bewildered for a second and I have to laugh at her Halloween themed underwear. There are jack-o'-lanterns grinning right back at me.

"I -"

"Stop it, Calliope."

She's such a dork.

She slips out of her Heelys and kicks the scrub pants across the room as I give one last chuckle at her underwear before they're off those slender hips. Her back hits the wall quickly and I'm pulling her hips toward me, shivering as her hands immediately flock to my hair. Her delicate fingers twist and tug at my messy curls when my mouth makes contact with her, my tongue sampling and relishing in the taste I love so much.

Her left foot is propped against my shoulder while I do this, listening to her muffle her cries of my name into her hand. Occasionally she needs to breathe though and I can hear them, those throaty sounds that taper off to the most delicious whimpers. The hairs at the back of my neck stand on end when she starts begging me. "Please, Callie," always sounds so good.

My tongue circles her clit, flicking rapidly. I know what she wants but I'm purposely holding out. I like her begging, back arching off the wall, calf clenching beside my head. I just hope she doesn't give herself another charley horse; those are always confusing orgasms for her. When she tugs my hair in a manner that I know will make it not look like sex hair (even in a ponytail), I give in. Two fingers slide inside her and she gives up on trying to be quiet.

I guess this is why people notice when we're anything but shiny, happy people.

She's so turned on, so wet, so close that I can feel it. I push inside of her one more time while my tongue follows suit and she's squirming. My free hand pushes on her hips to keep her in one place (and reduce the risk of injury on Arizona's part). She groans out one long, "Oh, God, Callie," when she finally comes.

I gently lower her foot back to the ground and fetch her black and orange underwear from the little nightstand in the room. I help her get them back up and stand, rolling my neck a little. She tugs me over by the drawstring on my scrubs. When we kiss, she moans again and I shiver because I know it's the faint taste of her still on my lips that made her do it.

God, she's hot.

She backs me into the wall again and I don't fight. Instead I kiss her, hands and fingers tugging her closer by her hair. I love her hair. Those soft blonde locks always feel so good under my hands. Her own hands are under my scrub pants again, picking up right where she had left off.

My pager goes off. I give her a look that means business and she accepts my silent challenge with a nod and a smile.

Before I even have time to react, her fingers are inside of me, aided by just how turned on making her come gets me. She knows this fact well. I vaguely hear her mumble something about how wet I am when her thumb joins the party, circling my clit in perfect rhythm with her fingers.

And now it's my turn to try and keep my noises down; my turn to squirm against the wall until she presses her lips against mine to shut me up. I can't help it though. I need to breathe a little so I pull back just in time for her to curl her fingers which gives us no time to try and muffle that noise. God, I hope no one's outside the door. The first time it was funny, second time – awkward. And all ensuing times we've been caught? Kind of funny too, actually.

My hands move to her shoulders so I can steady myself. I have trouble standing up while she's doing this because my knees threaten to give out every single time. She is that good. I whisper this into her ear. I tell her how close I am, how much I want her to make me come.

And of course she does. So hard that I can't even make sounds at first because it feels like there isn't enough air in my lungs.

She kisses me while I come down. I smile at her, taking a second to cherish her. Her wedding ring gets caught in my hair and we smile about it. It's a good omen.

"Can't do this in a Mini," I smirk when I can finally speak again.

"Oh, Calliope, you underestimate me."

I smile again, bigger than before. My cheeks hurt from smiling, again.

Her pager goes off again and she scrambles for her pants in search of the pager attached to its waistband. "Oh, God. Thankfully it's just Karev," she breathes as she pulls the scrubs back on.

"Thankfully," I smirk, trying to no avail to smooth down my hair.

She walks over to me and ties my scrubs, helping me pull my coat back onto my shoulders.

"We'll talk later?" She smiles. Super magically.

"Later," I agree. "But, Arizona?"

"Yes?" She asks over her shoulder, just before leaving the on call room.

"Can the Mini be red?"


	2. 172

**Title:** 172  
><strong>Authors:<strong> clanket & roughian  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Callie/Arizona  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Callie and Arizona head to Teddy's for the Thanksgiving holiday, dragging a grumbling Mark with them in their brand-spankin' new Mini. They make sure to give each other 'thanks' - as well as a few answers - along the way. Sequel to _171_.

**Disclaimer:** All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libellous, defamatory, or in any way factual.

* * *

><p>Seattle, usually wearing its affectionate nickname of the emerald city proudly, had outfitted itself for autumn. Leaves were changing colors, showcasing rich reds, jovial yellows, and vibrant orange hues. Crisp winds tainted the otherwise beautifully sunshine-filled afternoons that only broke for periods of rain. No matter how hard those downpours tried they couldn't mask the beauty of Seattle in November.<p>

Callie particularly liked the fall weather because it gave her a reason to dust off the old leather jacket. The fact that it still fit her after having a baby thrilled her to no end, so at the dip in temperature she donned it proudly. Arizona also enjoyed the leather jacket as it reminded her of kissing a hot, dejected Callie Torres in that dirty bar bathroom. Now, that faded leather jacket was usually the target for spit up, baby sneezes, and tears but Callie didn't mind them at all, thinking it'd feel stranger if they weren't there.

Arizona handed Sofia off to her mami, first laying the burp cloth along her left shoulder in case Sofia decided to spit up before Callie could sit down and burp her in her lap. Sofia babbled instead and amicably allowed for the change in position as Callie sing-songed: "C'mon, amorcita, give mami a good burp."

"Where's Mark?" Arizona complained as she fluffed her hair in the mirror by the door and checked her dressy silver watch. "I told Teddy we'd be there at 5:30, and I seriously don't think we're going to make it on time, Calliope."

Callie looked up from the task at hand, cut off mid-verse of _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. "Well, I know the Bears are playing. You know how obsessed he is with them."

"Obsessed like he's got 600 bucks on this game. I got it," Arizona grumbled a little as she tugged on the skirt to her navy blue dress. "I'm just hungry. Bailey makes the best mashed potatoes and I'm super excited for them."

Callie rolled her eyes after realizing she'd been staring at Arizona's gorgeous legs. "Call him. Maybe he got stuck in traffic."

"Yeah, sure, stuck in traffic. Or stuck in Tracy, the new Plastics nurse."

"Gross," Callie grimaced. "Not in front of the baby."

Arizona just shrugged as she picked her phone up off of the island, sliding her thumb across the touch screen to unlock it and dialing Mark's number which went straight to voicemail. She groaned in frustration and ended the call. "All I'm saying is if we're late because of his man-" she eyed her daughter, "W-H-O-R-E ways and I don't get mashed potatoes, I'm gonna be grumpy."

"They're not going to magically disappear," Callie smirked as Sofia gave her another small burp and then promptly shoved a chubby little fist into her mouth.

"Owen will be there, Callie. He loves mashed potatoes as much as I do," Arizona snipped then took a deep breath to calm herself.

Callie looked at her wife quizzically, her left hand still rubbing gentle circles over Sofia's back. "Arizona, is 'mashed potatoes' code for something?"

The blonde slumped and let out a breath, lowering her eyes from her own reflection. "No...just that Owen and I want mashed potatoes. Lots of mashed potatoes. Maybe even ten mashed potatoes." Arizona turned around slowly to deliberately meet her lover's eyes. "Owen and I want them, but Cristina doesn't," she hinted.

Callie didn't look to be any clearer on the topic of side dishes than before the blonde had turned so she ventured a guess.

"So, you and Owen really want Miranda's potatoes...but Cristina doesn't? Isn't that a good thing? More mashed potatoes for you and Owen! Maybe they'll even have chunks left in it the way you like!" she finished with a cheesy grin and enthusiastic nod, trying to get on the potato train her wife seemed to be riding.

Arizona picked at her nails, dropping her gaze to the little healthy, gurgling, tanned bundle of joy that sat upon her wife's lap. "What if I want _your _mashed potatoes," she ventured with a glance at Callie through her lashes, "not Bailey's?"

Callie's hand momentarily stopped its soothing caress on her daughter's back. Her eyes opened in shock as she stared at the vulnerable woman in front of her; the woman who, just one year ago, couldn't fathom a child in her womb, in her home - in her life.

"Arizona, is Sofia mashed potatoes?" she asked, the crack in her voice exposing her trepidation.

Arizona's eyes were wet with unshed tears as she thought of all the possible responses. Her Calliope could tell her, 'no way'; 'I'm not doing this again'; 'Isn't she enough?'; 'What will Sofia think when she's older?'; a thousand ways to break her heart and only one to ease it.

"Arizona."

It came out as a near-whisper. A mix between empathy and plain pity. It was the sound that could destroy her.

Callie kept her eyes trained on her wife and took her time in answering, not wanting to choose the wrong words. She'd made enough mistakes and thrown around too many brash words for one relationship to screw this up, too.

"Arizona." It was stronger this time, more determined. "I don't even know if I _can_ after - _after_." She cleared her throat while searching for the right words. "I mean, the way she came into the world and...God, she's barely half a year old."

Arizona shook her head. She understood, she really did.

"I'm not saying no," Callie clarified and the blonde's head shot up. "I'm just saying, give us time. Yeah?"

Her crying partner nodded. "Yeah, time. I just - I don't know - I just wanted to be able to go through it with you, you know?"

She crossed the room to where Callie sat to grab a few tissues off the box they kept by the 'baby feeding corner' of their couch. "I just wanted to have a say." She looked at the little girl that was 50% Calliope, 50% Mark and 100% hers. "I love Sofia, you know I do. But," she said as she gazed into the depth of her lover's eyes, "I want to be able to do it _all_with you. Plus, I've kinda fallen in love with having a baby in the house."

She ran an affectionate hand over the soft fuzz that made up her daughter's head of hair. "Especially ones that only I can rock back to sleep in the middle of the night."

Callie couldn't help but smile at that. Arizona's love for their daughter was pure; she could tell that from the first time she'd gotten an update on her little '1-pound, 1-ounce of strong'. And if she could, she'd love to give her five- or six-pounds of strong, too.

"I love you," she said instead before leaning in to prove it with a kiss. "I'm saying-"

The door suddenly swung open to reveal a six-foot tall greying man also known as her baby's dad. Mark clapped his hands together once to announce his arrival. "Alright, I'm here. Sorry I'm late, surgery ran long but I did get a shower in at the hospital," he explained as he pointed to his damp hair, "so I'm good to go! Where's my baby?"

Arizona hung her head again. She needed to know what Callie was about to say.

The brunette spoke up, "You really need to stop walking in unannounced, Mark."

The man glanced back at the door with what Lexie would consider an adorably confused look. "But you were expecting me. And the door was unlocked."

Arizona hastily wiped at her tears as she busied herself with the supplies for Sofia's diaper bag. She picked up the little stuffed leopard from the pack 'n play in the living room and settled it into the mass of diapers, bottles, and chupos. Her diversionary tactic worked; Mark went straight for the baby, scooping her from her mami and pressing kisses to her chubby cheek.

Callie walked over to where Arizona was standing. "We'll talk later, about the … potatoes, okay?"

Arizona nodded softly, then took a deep breath and nodded again.

Callie kissed her cheek and laced their fingers together momentarily. Her Arizona was so strong, and to see her cry like this cracked her heart in two.

"So, I saw that tiny little car parked out front of your building. Which one of our schmuck neighbours bought a cherry red, extended cab Mini Cooper?" Mark scoffed. "Might as well just drive a Big Wheel."

"Oh!" Arizona said, distracted by the mention of their new car. "That's Mini Mouse. She's ours."

"What?" Mark sputtered. "That... you... Torres?"

"Yep, she's ours. She's an extended cab, super safe Mini. We looked into it. There are a ridiculous amount of rear and passenger-side airbags," Callie beamed. "And she's _ours_."

"That's what we're driving across town to Teddy's in? Please, let me get a cab, I can-"

"Mark, we're taking the car," Arizona said resolutely. "I don't want to hear it."

Sofia squealed for emphasis.

Callie dug in the pocket of her jacket, producing the house keys with the FOB attached. She jangled them in front Mark's face which made Sofia's eyes grow wide and her little head tip back in awe. What a fun noise!

"Wow. I didn't think I'd ever see the day, Torres. What happened to the T-Bird?" Mark chuckled as Arizona outfitted him with the diaper bag and went into the kitchen to fetch the bottles of wine they were bringing.

"Nothing, Esmé is still in the garage. But it's not safe for a new baby. Sofia is a Mini-only passenger," Callie smiled at her little baby boo. "Right, baby?"

Sofia kicked her legs at her mami's voice as her parents filed out the door. The three remained quiet as they took the elevator down to the lobby, Mark scoffing again when he saw the car after stepping into the chilly evening air, arms instinctively wrapping around Sofia to shield her from the breeze. He stood back, squinting at the car while Callie took the baby from his arms and made sure she was secure in her car seat. He watched both moms check that she was strapped in properly, then place the diaper bag and wine bottles in the trunk. He couldn't believe he was actually about to ride shotgun in a candy red Mini Cooper. He reached the passenger-side door just as Arizona stepped up next to him.

"Hi," Arizona chirped. "A little lost?"

He looked at the open doors and balked at the little one jutting out backward. "You can't be serious, Blondie."

Arizona smiled and made a show of pulling the front seat all the way forward to make room for his large frame.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

He looked at his baby, sitting prettily in her car seat behind Arizona's and staring up at him as if waiting for his next move. "I can't ride behind Torres. She's got that damn seat pushed all the way back. Can't you at least drive, you're shorter?" he complained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Callie likes driving," Arizona smiled, thinking of their agreement – after Callie had put her in a very sexily compromising position. "And I like it when she convinces me to let her drive."

"What?"

"I said I like it when she drives," Arizona amended quickly.

He shook his head at his fate as Callie fiddled with the iPod plugged into the stereo, ignoring the bickering.

"You coming, Mark? We're going to be late," Callie huffed as she pressed play on the device.

He eyed the small excuse for a door behind Arizona's seat. "This is ridiculous," he murmured, the change in tone making Sofia laugh for whatever reason. Flipping up his jacket collar, he studied the small opening that he was expected to slip through. "Absolutely ridiculous," he huffed, wiggling into the back.

Mark braced his hands on either side of the baby's carrier to ensure that if he did fall it wouldn't be onto the most precious thing in his life then turned awkwardly, succeeding in flopping onto the seat behind the Latina though his feet remained stretched out into the foot space of the non-existent middle passenger. When Mark had finally settled in, his legs pulled awkwardly up in front of him, Sofia gave him a face that suggested he may be the most absurd human being on Earth, and then laughed again. It made him wonder if somehow Sofia actually _was _Arizona's, since the pair wore matching smirks as they looked at him.

"Oh, so you think this is funny?" he softly growled at Sofia. The baby grinned at her daddy, confirming that, yes, he was pretty silly.

With Mark in the back, knees pulled up to his chest, Callie turned up the stereo. Lady Gaga's _You and I _pumped through the impressive sound system. Immediately, Sofia's little legs started kicking while she hit her fists off of the sides of the car seat. Arizona turned around enough to watch her and smiled at the baby's dancing.

"Really? This garbage? You want our kid listening to this garbage?" Mark groaned again.

"Sofia loves it," Callie commented. "We tried Disney, The Wiggles, Dora. Nope, she only wants Gaga. It's edited and it makes her happy. You want your daughter to be happy don't you, Mark?"

Arizona belted out the chorus, tipping her head back and singing it like she was the Lady herself. Callie found this adorable and even a little hot. She put a hand on Arizona's thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze, imagining hitching that dress up later. The look the pair shared said it all: _later_.

Callie glanced in the rear-view mirror and grinned when she saw that Mark was thoroughly engrossed in their dancing daughter. Biting the side of her lip, she slowly inched her hand down the blonde's thigh until it rested just below her dress then moved it upward just as slowly, only this time her hand was in direct contact with that silky skin.

She felt Arizona jump slightly and noticed out of the corner of her eye that she'd turned to face Callie but the brunette paid no heed, instead lightly playing her fingers over the inside of her wife's leg.

Finally, Arizona had had enough of the teasing and grabbed Callie's hand with her left while lifting her hips and surreptitiously pulling her dress back into place with the right. She laughed silently and eyed the Latina, smirk plastered on her face, and waited for the woman to turn to her.

When Callie made eye contact briefly, Arizona took the opportunity to squeeze her hand and mouth, "later."

Seven Lady Gaga songs and a chupo emergency later, Mini Mouse faithfully delivered her passengers to Teddy's apartment building. It was 5:28, leaving just enough time to get there without being too early or too late. This thrilled both the ever punctual Arizona and the usually fashionably late Callie to no end. Mark whimpered, having lost feeling in his ass moments before the car came to a halt.

"I'm getting a ride home with someone else," he announced gruffly.

"Such a baby," Arizona sighed as undid her seat belt and opened her door to fetch Sofia.

"Hey, you try sitting back here, there's virtually no room at all," he called after the blonde.

"Oh, we made it work just fine," Callie smirked, eyeing Arizona who gave a demure giggle at the memory.

"Really?" Mark grinned as he made a hasty exit from the car, stopping short of kneeling down and kissing the dirty Seattle pavement.

Arizona looked at him and then at their well-behaved seven-month-old with an eye roll. She also looked at the smirking countenance of her wife, who knew just what that little bit of teasing in the car had done to the her. She took a few shaky steps toward her wife and handed her the baby, leaning in so close that her lips brushed against Callie's ear as she whispered, "Just remember, Calliope, pay back is a-"

But Mark was staring and it halted Arizona's thought as she strutted away from the rest of the group to go buzz in to Teddy's apartment. Callie watched her walk away in those heels and that dress and smirked to herself, chuckling a little. Mark plucked the baby gently from her mami's arms.

"Careful, don't drop her," he winked knowingly as he caught Callie's eyes on Robbins' ass.

Callie just smiled in return.

The main door to the building made a click and Arizona swung it open, holding it so that Callie and Mark could pass through. Sofia blinked, looking around at the new environment before laying her head on Mark's shoulder and closing her eyes. The car always made her sleepy and in an attempt to keep her from sleeping and disrupting her schedule, Arizona started singing _Alejandro _which got those little legs kicking all the way up to Teddy's floor.

As Mark rang the bell to the apartment, Callie caught herself still mouthing the words to the Gaga song. Teddy opened the door with a huge grin, Henry passing behind her with a beer in his hand. Mark made instant eye contact and after exchanging quick pleasantries with Teddy made a mad dash toward the television playing the Bears' game in the other room.

"I take it they've all been a huge help today, yeah?" Arizona teased Teddy who immediately took a giggly Sofia from her moms.

"Oh, definitely. By drinking most of the beer and shouting at the teams on TV and talking about how the lockout has really poorly impacted play," Teddy said, kissing Sofia's cheek. "Thank you for coming."

Callie looked around the empty kitchen, "I thought Cristina was-"

"Are you kidding me!" the cardiac surgeon in question hollered from the other room. "He was down. That is not a fumble. What kind of - if I made a call that bad in an O.R. I'd lose my license. And they're _paying _this jackass to make bad calls. Boo, Zebras! Boo!"

"O-kay," Callie amended. "What can I do?"

"Nothing! Sit. We're just waiting on Bailey. She had a complication with one of her trial patients but she's on her way now."

"That's good because Arizona was looking forward to her mashed potatoes," the brunette teased, earning a playful slap to the arm and a scowl from Arizona.

"Oh! We brought wine," Arizona remembered just then with a smile. "But left it in the car," she deflated a little.

Callie smiled, recognizing an opportunity. "Yeah, and I left my pager. I'm technically on-call, so I'll go down with you, Arizona."

"Are you-" Arizona started, but abruptly stopped herself at the look in Callie's eye. "Okay."

Teddy, blissfully unaware and bouncing Sofia around while mumbling something in that high-pitched baby voice, turned and started walking her toward the room with the football game on, chattering all the while.

Arizona smiled at the sight, warmed by just how taken everyone was with Sofia. When she brought her gaze back to her wife, Callie held out a hand for her which she took without a second's hesitation. The blonde followed Callie out the door expecting to go toward the elevator doors, but was surprised when her wife led them to the stairwell instead.

Arizona resisted the urge to stomp her stiletto-clad foot. "There are eight flights, Cal-" Arizona started.

Callie spun around and pushed Arizona against the door, making it close much quicker than it would have on its own. She pressed her lips against the other pair, stopping the complaints immediately. Arizona's fingers tangled in Callie's straightened locks, pulling her even closer and whimpering into the kiss when she felt Callie's hands skirting underneath her dress again.

Arizona thought about stopping her, telling her not to start something she couldn't follow through on, but her rational mind had shut off the second Callie caught her lips in that hot kiss. Nails raked up her thighs while fingertips soothed the path back down. Arizona moaned, feeling Callie's lips press against her own even more ardently than before, silently telling her to keep it down.

Callie parted Arizona's knees with her own, fingers sliding up the sensitive path of her wife's inner thigh before slipping back out to ghost along the taut muscle of those perfect quads. Pulling back some, Arizona bit Callie's lower lip, whispering an urgent, "touch me," before pressing her lips against the other pair once more.

Callie felt like Arizona had knocked the wind out of her. There was nothing that she wanted to do more. She smiled at how her wife could make a dingy, poorly lit stairwell seem like the sexiest place in the world. Her fingers skirted back up to where Arizona needed her the most, pushing against heat she could feel even through the skimpy fabric of those underwear. Arizona buckled forward momentarily but Callie held her up as her nimble fingers pushed those pesky panties to the side, sliding fingers through abundant arousal.

Arizona pulled back, fearing she might pass out due to lack of oxygen. She gasped, head hitting the door behind her as Callie slid two fingers inside of her, pumping into tight, wet heat. "God, Calliope."

"Oh, you feel so good," Callie groaned as she settled her lips against that flushed neck, kissing fervidly against the flesh there.

"Baby," Arizona whimpered, pushing her hips as best she could with the awkward angle.

Callie reached for Arizona's leg with her free hand, hooking it behind the knee as she hoisted it up, trying desperately for a better angle. She wanted to be deeper; she wanted to make Arizona unravel. "I want a baby," she gasped as she felt Arizona tense around her fingers. "Just with you. Just me and you."

Arizona's back arched as she felt Callie's thumb flick over her clit. She tipped her head back again, moaning a ragged, "Callie," as the brunette curled her fingers inside, rubbing that spot that always made her feel so _close_.

"Shh," Callie grinned, capturing Arizona's lips again. "You're echoing in here."

"Hurry up, Calliope," Arizona pleaded. "I'm trying h-hard not to...not to...fuck, Callie."

"Not to what?" Callie teased. "Scream for me? Let everyone know who's fucking you in the stairwell?"

"God," Arizona whimpered, nails digging into Callie's shoulders, skewing that off-the-shoulder number even more. "You're so sexy."

The brunette grinned triumphantly, feeling Arizona start to shake. "Yeah?"

"Mm, so se-sexy," Arizona repeated as she quivered, so close to where she needed to be.

Callie's fingers quickened as best they could with the restrictive angle and clothing, her thumb grinding against Arizona's clit. She could feel her wife tensing, gasping, and making those choked little whimpering noises that she let out just before she peaked. All the build-up made Callie crazy, driving her need to hear her release, to feel her let go. "You're so close, God, I can feel it," she gasped. "Come for me."

Arizona licked her lips as she pulled Callie closer, kissing her as best she could through her panting and moaning until she couldn't keep up anymore. Her fingernails dug into the back of Callie's neck, the other hand scraping across her back as she let go, biting at Callie's shoulder to keep from screaming as she did so. And who could blame her? Being ambushed by your extremely hot wife in a stairwell was definitely grounds for screaming.

Callie pushed inside her wife through her orgasm, keeping the thrusts leisurely and listening as Arizona's moans tapered off to gentle, sated little sounds. "You okay?" she whispered as she let Arizona's leg drop and helped her adjust her dress but kept her body pressed in to that of her wife, needing the closeness.

"Super," Arizona smiled, turning her head for a kiss. "But, were you serious? About the baby?"

"I am. I love Sofia more than life itself, but another baby with you seems like an amazing thing. And Sofia would be a great big sister," Callie teased. "But let's just wait a bit, ok? At least until Sofia can walk," she bargained.

"Mhmm, very logical," Arizona smiled as she pressed a soft kiss to Callie's lips. "Is your lipstick all over my neck?"

"Please, Arizona, I started shelling out the extra money for the long wear, smudge proof stuff after our third date," she winked.

Arizona grinned in return, enjoying the way Callie was as she came down. Even standing in the stairwell, strong arms were wrapped around her waist. The blonde glanced up into those wide brown eyes and pecked her lips against Callie's again. "I love you."

"I love you," Callie said softly as she captured Arizona's lips once more. "Mm, but okay. We need to get that wine and _my pager_, which is in Sofia's diaper bag anyway."

Arizona gasped and playfully swatted at Callie's arm, "You dirty liar."

"You love it," Callie teased as she turned to leave the stairwell, Arizona's hand grasped in her own, when she felt a slight tug backward.

"What about you?" Arizona asked, gesturing to her wife with her free hand.

"You'll make it up to me tonight," Callie smiled as she pulled on the blonde's hand once more. They exited the stairwell door and headed back for the elevator, hoping that no one would see them. Though, their friends really shouldn't be surprised at this point.

The elevator trip went smoothly and the couple were on their way back to Teddy's apartment in no time. Callie carried the wine bottles so she wouldn't seem like she'd blatantly lied so that she and Arizona could have a quickie in an apartment stairwell.

Back at Teddy's, Arizona knocked on the door while Callie hooked her arm around the blonde's waist and tugged her in to dance playful kisses across her neck.

Bailey opened the door with a groan and an eye roll but judging by the smirk tugging at one corner of her mouth, she was probably happier to see them than she would be to still be stuck in surgery. "Well, happy Thanksgiving. Windy out there, Robbins?"

Bailey's incredulous glance tipped up toward Arizona's messy mane.

"Um, what?" the blonde blushed as she self-consciously brought her free hand to her tussled hairdo.

"Uh, yep. Totally windy," Callie recovered. "So windy," she smirked.

Arizona giggled a little. She actually giggled.

"Okay, I don't wanna know. Now, Torres, go tell Yang she's gotta give me some baby time!"

"Cristina," Callie called playfully, as she walked toward the living room. Sofia was perched on Yang's knee, clutching one of Owen's fingers as she giggled at her dad who was sitting on the floor in front of her, tickling her tummy.

So much love.

"We're not giving the baby up till halftime," Hunt spoke for his wife. "If that's okay, Callie."

Callie smiled. "Totally fine with me. But Bailey gets baby dibs, got it?"

All three nodded obediently as their eyes shifted to Forte running an inside route just shy of the end zone. Instead of erupting into cheers, though, everyone subdued their excitement. Sofia kicked her legs and screamed louder than all of them, making Arizona laugh from the kitchen.

Callie wandered back inside to where Arizona was trying to open one of the wine bottles. She slid her arms around the blonde from behind and nuzzled the back of her neck. Arizona smiled and turned to press a kiss against her wife's chin. They didn't get their snuggly afterglow time and Callie was still wound tight from the recent memory of Arizona shaking in her arms.

"We should get out more often," Callie murmured against Arizona's lips. "That was pretty awesome."

Arizona wore a smile to match the Latina's. "Mm, I'll show you 'pretty awesome' tonight," she flirted. "Speaking of which, you should probably go wash your hands before you help Teddy with the food. Where is everyone, anyway?"

Callie's hands continued to slide over the smooth material of the blonde's dress, lightly massaging her back through the fabric.

"Dunno, don't care," she admitted before kissing her wife again.

"So I see Henry and I aren't the only ones who are unreasonably cheerful lately," the hostess interrupted from the entrance of the kitchen as she made her way over to the oven to baste the turkey for about the hundredth time. Literally. Teddy had been roasting that monstrous bird for the better part of the day and she wanted everyone to know it.

Callie and Arizona turned their heads toward the lanky blonde, still holding on to each other. Their cheeks pressed together gently, enjoying the air of ease in their friend's warm apartment; a stark contrast to the sterility of the hospital. The sight made Teddy smile. She woman turned from her fine dinner, still hunched over from closing the oven door, and couldn't help the reaction to seeing two people so obviously carefree, if only for an evening.

"I'm gonna go wash my hands before I touch anything. Be right back," Callie announced.

Teddy didn't miss Arizona's lingering gaze or the way that gaze shifted down as her wife walked out of the kitchen.

"So, you in another 'pretty, pink bubble'?" she teased as she folded a dishrag and hung it on the stove.

Arizona smiled at her as she got back to her task of opening the wine. "No, actually, there's no bubble."

Teddy lifted her eyebrows in scepticism.

"No, really!" Arizona promised while placing the bottle between her knees. "We're just in a good place," she said while pulling on the corkscrew. "A really good place," then with a solid tug finally had the cork out.

"You had a quickie in your car, didn't you?"

Arizona smirked. "I can honestly say that we did not."

Out in the living room, Callie stopped by the couch on her way back to her wife to check in on Sofia. While she wasn't thrilled that Cristina was using her as the football to re-enact just how Forte had run 40 yards for the touchdown, she was pretty pleased when the woman shoved Mark hard enough for him to lose his balance and flop onto the couch.

"Hey, gentle when you're holding my kid, Yang," Mark bellowed.

"I was just showing her how Forte threw off Lee's balance. You're lucky I didn't make you face plant like he did."

Callie felt that she should step in before someone got hurt. Namely Mark by Cristina's hand.

"Cristina, he's got a point. Two hands on the baby when you're standing."

The Asian woman's shoulders slumped momentarily but she wisely adjusted her hold from having Sofia laying parallel to the floor under one arm to pulling her up to rest against her chest with one hand under her butt for support.

"Happy?" she snarked.

"Extremely," Callie answered sincerely. She stepped around the couch to grab her daughter's little hands and place smacking kisses all over her cherubic face until those cheeks pulled up and Sofia gave a happy squeal along with a flail of her arms.

With that, Callie smiled and gave her a quick Eskimo kiss before pulling away.

"Alright, enjoy her while you can because she's got a tight schedule to keep: Bailey at half time, then me for feeding, then Arizona for after-dinner cuddles-"

"Hey, where do I come in?" Mark whined from where he remained seated on the couch.

"I was just getting to you," Callie said with raised brows. "You have her right now and after Arizona's time until we go home."

Mark looked at Callie like a disciplined boy would at his mother; his arms were crossed over his chest and his brow was furrowed. She could tell he wanted to argue about their daughter's Thanksgiving Day cuddle schedule but opted for a curt, "Fine," after a few moments of trying to stare her down.

The Latina rolled her eyes then made her way back to the kitchen.

"Alright, so where were we?" she asked the blondes.

"I just got the wine open. Red?" Arizona offered.

Callie held out her glass. "Yes, please. Does this mean I should expect a tipsy, handsy wife?"

Arizona smirked. "No, just me."

Dinner went off without a hitch. Between the humongous turkey, a multitude of sides (mashed potatoes in plenitude) and hilarious anecdotes, it was a huge success. After the meal, Henry offered to clean up and was even able to wrangle reluctant assistants Mark and Owen to help him, leaving the girls to the football game for the time being.

Bailey snuggled Sofia against her chest as she fed her another bottle, smiling as the little one suckled hungrily. "God, she is such a good baby. I'm gonna baby-nap you," she cooed.

"I know, we got lucky," Callie smiled from beside Bailey on the couch, turning to press a kiss to Arizona's cheek.

When the bottle was done, Bailey gently removed it from the little one's mouth and sat her up on her knee so she could burp her. "There we go, that's it. A nice burp for Aunt Miranda."

"Aw, Aunt Miranda," Arizona mumured, loving that their baby tamed the sometimes-hardened attending.

"Quiet, Robbins," the woman snipped playfully.

After a good burp and a smile at her 'Aunt Miranda', Sofia looked toward her mami quizzically. The look made Callie grin as she took the baby from Miranda's arms and passed her over to Arizona, listening to the little giggle Sofia gave off at the transfer.

Callie watched the unmistakable connection between the pair. Arizona pressed a kiss against one of Sofia's cheeks before whispering something to her that lilted off at the end, making their daughter laugh again. They were lucky that their baby was so happy and well-adjusted. Callie had heard tales of preemies being fussy at times, but not Sofia. As far as her parents were concerned, she was damned near perfect.

"Ma-ma," the little one chirped, making Yang turn around from her football-induced trance.

"Did she just call Roller Girl 'momma'?"

"She did," Callie grinned. "She doesn't even call me anything yet."

"It's really just babbling," Arizona tried to qualify the sounds while Sofia practised bouncing up and down on her lap.

"Oh, for the love of," Cristina rolled her eyes at the loving, disbelieving look Callie sent the blonde. "You people make me sick with all your sweetness."

Callie grinned, turning to watch as Sofia bounced happily on her momma's knees, enjoying the happy display and all the chattering giggles. Arizona was beautiful in her own right but absolutely breathtaking with a baby in her arms. Another one wouldn't be so bad. Maybe a little blonde boy with big blue eyes, or another gorgeous brown-eyed little girl. The thought roused a chuckle from Callie's chest as she brushed a hand against Sofia's soft cheek.

"Alright, alright," came the booming voice of Mark, causing Sofia to turn her head toward the familiar sound. "My turn," he declared with greedy arms outstretched.

Arizona looked up from her baby-bonding and then glanced at Callie warily. As she opened her mouth to protest, Callie stood and strode over to him, grabbing him lightly by the crook of his elbow and leading him toward the hallway.

"Oh, Mark, I've been meaning to ask you about this patient I have. He broke broke his radius and it punctured the skin," she spoke, trying to distract him long enough to close the door behind them.

The blonde looked back down at her gorgeous baby who, blissfully unaware, continued her babbling.

"What would you suggest - alright, I need you to let them bond," Callie implored once they were alone, her tone changing from professional to pleading in an instant.

"Wait, who? The patient or the bones? You really shouldn't wait to clean up a nasty tear like that or it-" Mark said as he pulled his arm free of her hold.

"Sofia is your daughter," Callie interrupted. "I know that, we all know that, but Arizona needs to bond with her too," Callie whispered briskly.

"Blondie? She bonds with her all the time."

Mark looked at her suspiciously. "There is no patient, is there?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Callie shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Look, I know that she's great at this, you know she's great at this and even Sofia can tell she's safe in Arizona's arms but _she _doesn't. She still doesn't see it."

"How can she not? She's the only word Sofia's bothered to learn: momma!"

"I know, Mark. But what I'm saying is that she needs to figure it out for herself. She wants to bond. She needs to bond," the brunette sighed. "We got the experience, you know? We chose to have-" Callie looked around for a moment and flung her arm out in exasperation. "_Sorbet_," she finished with a roll of her eyes. "We chose that and we chose to keep her and you got to see your mighty oak grow or whatever and I got to feel...well, I got to feel fat and bloated and caffeine deprived. But that's not the point," she declared resolutely, surprising Mark.

"I get it, Cal," Mark shrugged.

And for the first time in a long time, she believed that he really did. The smile that spread across Callie's face at that realisation was followed by a giggle. Mark never ceased to amaze her.

"So let her have baby snuggles. Please. Let her bond. She loves Sofia fiercely, more than I think anyone in her shoes could, but then again she is amazing," Callie continued, tearing up a little. "I want her to feel like she's just as much a part of this as we are."

Mark smiled again and wrapped his friend up in a platonic hug. "So no special body part votes?" he joked. After he felt Callie chuckle, he swore, "I got it, Cal, I promise."

"Okay. Thank you, Mark," Callie sighed as she pulled away from the embrace just in time to hear Teddy call out for dessert.

"Pumpkin pie! You in?" Mark grinned as he opened the door and eagerly made his way toward the dining room.

Callie nodded, watching as her two favorite girls came to meet her. Arizona eyed her quizzically.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Callie smiled as she wrapped both into her arms. "Do you think Teddy will have any ice cream?" she asked suddenly. "Sofia's too young for pie but she'd get a kick out of some softened ice cream!"

Arizona dimpled at the thought of Sofia's first taste of the dessert. "Just a little, we don't want to keep her up all night. I have some serious business to attend to later," the blonde winked as she leaned in to press a kiss against Callie's mouth.

**-XXX-**


End file.
